Fandom: MARVEL COMICS
Pairing: Jean Grey, gen
Length: ~1,400 words
Author on LJ:
imaginaryaliceAuthor Website:
aliceonpaperWhy this must be read:My next set of recs is going to focus on a corner of
X-Men fandom which has grown a lot over the past few years, the
X-Men:First Class series. This comic follows the ongoing adventures of the earliest group of students to bear the title 'X-Men'. Or more accurately, 'focused,' since the final issue was published today. However the series will be continued with a revised cast in
Uncanny X-Men: First Class. While the title, like the First Class, couldn't last forever, it has provided impetus to a community of fans to write about and discuss the early days of those characters. A lot of these stories can be seen at
xmenfirstclass, and a lot of them focus on the first female X-Man, Jean Grey.
I'm going to have several Jean-centric recs, and it makes sense to begin at the beginning. Jean's oft-told origin story involves a tragedy befalling a childhood friend, Annie. In
Friends Forever,
imaginaryalice explores the friendship between Jean and Annie, in a way that is funny and poignant. These kids act and like real kids, with their quarrels and dramatic expressions of affection. It's heartbreaking and perfect.
Excerpt:
"Hi," she said again. "I'm Jean. I live across the street. Sort of. Over there." She pointed to her house, a small Tudor three houses down on the opposite side of the street. The girl stared at Jean, unblinking. "I'm really happy you moved in. I can show you around." The girl continued to stare. Jean was beginning to feel foolish, but she was determined and plowed through. "The old lady who used to live here died." There. That got a reaction. The girl's eyes traveled up and down Jean. At eight years old Jean was tall for her age and skinny as a rail. She wore her long rusty red hair in two ponytails.
"The Power Puff Girls are a rip off of Sailor Moon." The girl nodded at Jean's t-shirt featuring Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup and the words GIRL POWER in pink.Read the rest here:
Friends Forever